Since it is a television programme, I haven’t been able to mention the latest series of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle on BBC2, which has been required viewing as ever. Anyone who can get several minutes of breathless laughter out of me just by miming Rod Liddle eating a dry poppadom must be very funny indeed.
Lee is also a massive music fan and perceptive critic, so it was good to hear him turn up on Radio 3’s Late Junction talking to Max Reinhardt and compiling his ‘mix tape’. Reinhardt questioned Lee about his assertion that ‘90 per cent of jazz is awful’. Lee said he had ‘shelves and shelves of jazz’ but stood by the ratio, preferring ‘the stuff that you can’t dance to’. Listening to Radio 3 as a teenager had helped alert him to the 10 per cent. Before that, he’d thought it was ‘all George Benson and slap bass’.
Reinhardt mentioned Lee’s dabblings as a musical performer, working with the free jazz improviser Steve Beresford as the narrator on performances of John Cage’s Indeterminacy. Lee also discussed the relationship between jazz and comedy, noting similarities between stating a theme, meandering away from it and eventually returning to it, hopefully without losing the audience’s trust and interest.
As a comedian, Lee has made appearing to alienate large sections of his audience part of the act. On screen, he works to at least three audiences – the knowing punters in the room, despised TV executives who might cancel the show and the bovine, unsophisticated punters at home – playing them off against each other. And yet, he always gets them back.
All good stuff, but I have just one problem. When did ‘mix tape’ become currency? It’s an Americanism. In the days of the cassette, didn’t we just make tapes?
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter